THEME: Pray Ye the Lord of The Harvest; The Believers’ Life of Prayer
LESSON: One
TOPIC: Why Pray?
TEXT: Matthew 9:38; Luke 10:2; Luke 18:1-8; 1st Timothy 2:8
INTRODUCTION:
In the words of John Wesley “it seems God is limited by our prayer life — that He can do nothing for humanity unless someone asks Him”. In the heart and wisdom of Our Fathers Pastor Emeka Egwuchukwu and Pastor Olaide Olaniyan, we should take another look into the subject of prayer again as a Local Assembly. This is not just for the sake of taking a subject in Sunday School, it is an obvious burden that The Spirit of God has been stirring in Our Pastor’s heart.
Synopsis of the Burden for this Series
We are in the seasons of the end of our Salvation and the end of the programmes of God on the earth (1st Thessalonians 5:1-8); As a people/generation who is being led to the Throne of God to inherit God’s things, one would think it is a time to pray less or down tools as per prayers and praying. But looking at the scriptures, the reverse is the case. The more Jesus drew close to the end of the things of God in the days of His flesh, the more He prayed (Matthew 26: 36-45; 1st Peter 4:7; Ephesians 6:18).
We are in the seasons of the greatest harvest of God that the body of Christ is meant to experience according to the scriptures. Hence, we ought to pray more than ever before, not just for a season (as a result of being stirred through this Sunday School lesson), but to begin to intensify prayers and praying as a lifestyle going forward. This is the burden and desire of our parents in the Lord, Pastor and Pastor Mrs Lilian Egwuchukwu,and Pastor ‘Laide and Pastor Mrs Rose Olaniyan for us as a local assembly.
Satan’s plans and plots against God’s People (including us in NLWC and Word of Righteousness Communities) (Matthew 26:36-41)
Satan invests a lot to weaken the resolve of God’s people in giving themselves to prayer and watching (giving attention to the Word as it progresses towards the soul being saved).
One thing that the adversary has perfected over the years as is obviously revealed from the scriptures, is to always pitch God’s people against God’s standards and ways. He is the one that killed the attitude of watching (progressively journeying with the word towards the throne as we see in the Epistle Churches, and by God’s grace as we see in our midst as Word of Righteousness Communities across the earth).
We are a company of “Watchers”, who are waiting through patient continuance for the hope of the Gospel, even Eternal Life (Romans 2:7; Ephesians 6:18; Matthew 26:41). Secondarily, we watch in the place of prayers to see things in the Spirit that the Lord by the Spirit may be revealing to us that we ought to pay attention to. Things that if we don’t adequately give attention can hinder/limit/frustrate or kill our journey.
Satan knowing this, has poured a lot into the earth and upon men (including us in the Churches) to hinder that attitude and culture of watching – which is the siamese twin of prayers and praying. In many places (not being critical please), the spiritual attitude of watching has been stolen, both watching for the progressive revelation of the word, and watching in the spirit for what the Spirit is saying.
There is a lot of investment from the kingdom of darkness to make the FLESH STRONGER than the spirit, hence “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak – Matthew 26:41”. Pleasures, time guzzlers are put around the people of God. But we are becoming wiser and would redeem the time in the days and seasons ahead in the name of Jesus Christ Our Lord! Amen.
Also, Satan and his cohorts invest a lot in the same vein to kill, weaken and downplay the prayer life of a Believer, even a Believer in Truth. We have to be wise to not allow the devil steal from us in the seasons ahead.
We are a Praying Company/Community/Church (Ephesians 6:18; 1st Thessalonians 5:1-8; 1st Timothy 2:1-8; 1st Peter 4:7)
The Word of Righteousness Communities/Churches across the earth are a praying Community, this cannot be gainsaid or whittled down. We are a strong people, who, with the light that The Lord Jesus Christ and His Father has given to us through Rev Kayode and Rev (Mrs) Helen Oyegoke have laboured and thrived in the place of prayers and praying, and for this we are saying, thank You Jesus Christ Our Lord.